Kevin Ollie was the apple of everyone’s eye. The then 40-year-old had just guided UConn to a national championship in his second-year at the helm as the successor to legendary coach Jim Calhoun. A 13-year NBA veteran, the former point guard was regularly mentioned as a potential candidate for NBA jobs. Now, he’s unemployed. After back-to-back losing seasons, Ollie was fired Saturday morning.
So, what’s next for the Huskies. SN looks at five potential replacements.
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Dan Hurley
Why he makes sense: The 45-year-old Hurley is one of the most sought-after coaching candidates in the country. He’s led Rhode Island to a 28-8 record in Atlantic 10 play the past two seasons, including a first-place finish in the regular season in 2017-18 and has a chance to capture a second-straight conference tournament title Saturday at 1 p.m. ET against St. Joseph’s. The 2018 A-10 Coach of the Year’s New Jersey pedigree and experience turning St. Benedict’s Prep into a national powerhouse from 2001-2010 means he knows how to mine the talent-rich recruiting soil in the northeast. That’s invaluable to UConn if it intends to return to prominence. The Huskies’ current recruiting class is ranked 39th by 247 Sports. In 2017, the class was ranked 84th.
Tom Crean
Why he makes sense: Hiring Crean would give one of college basketball program’s most storied programs a brand-name leader supporters can immediately get behind. In nine seasons at Indiana, Crean’s teams saw improvements in their win-loss records in their first five seasons. He won a pair of Big Ten regular-season crowns and qualified for the NCAA Tournament four times, including three Sweet 16 runs. UConn is reeling, coming off back-to-back losing seasons for the first time since the mid-1980s. Pursuing a proven winner, who’d be fresh after a year away from the sidelines, could be a program-resurrecting move for the Huskies.
Mark Schmidt
Why he makes sense: The St. Bonaventure is in the midst of their third-straight 20-plus win season under Schmidt, who took over the program in 2007. Prior to his arrival, the Bonnies hadn’t had a 20-win season since 1999-00. He guided St. Bonaventure to its first and only A-10 title in 2016 when he also copped the league’s Coach of the Year honor. After beginning his head coaching career at Northeastern, Schmidt is primed to make the jump from mid-major to major and UConn could be the perfect place.
John Becker
Why he makes sense: At Vermont, Becker has gone 93-19 (.830) in America East play, qualifying for the postseason in each of the six seasons he’s manned the sidelines. The past two seasons, the Catamounts have gone 30-1 in regular season conference play. With three regular-season league titles and two tournament championships, the three-time America East Coach of the Year appears ready to make the leap to the American conference after dominating his current domain.
Jim Calhoun
Why he makes sense: It sounds far fetched, but why not? Sure, Calhoun turns 76 in May. Sure, he hasn’t coached since the 2011-12 season. But this wouldn’t be a long-term move. Bringing Calhoun back would almost certainly stability to a program not performing to the level it’s fan base has grown accustom to. If Calhoun can play Bobby Bowden and raise and rear his Jimbo Fisher-like successor, he’d be an ideal stop gap.
